Films
Roots of Renewal | Short Doc |35 min
Directed by Max Zampieri
Watch the film on the Waterbear network: https://waterbear.com/watch/roots-of-renewal
Environmental advocate Flo journeys across Central America to reveal the transformative power of small-scale farms. The farmers, guided by the principles of agroecology, are feeding their communities and playing a critical role in healing the planet. The documentary explores the interconnectedness of food, environment, and climate, featuring expert voices like Bill McKibben, Vandana Shiva, Eric Toensmeier, Paul Luu, and Hans Herren, who explain how these regenerative practices can play a key role in reversing environmental degradation and ensuring a sustainable future. Roots of Renewal brings forward a powerful message: small-scale farmers, with the proper support, offer us tremendous hope for a resilient planet.
Great Cover Up |Short Doc|27 min
Creative Direction by Max Zampieri | Directed by Daniel Cook
Aired on Thursday, August 21, 2025, on PBS NC
A musical community comes together through the power of cover songs to raise money for charity at Kings, a beloved venue in downtown Raleigh.
The Great Cover Up is a Window Music film presented by Myriad Originals, written, directed, and edited by Daniel Cook. Creative direction by Max Zampieri.
Voicemails Vol 2 | Drama Short |6 min
Directed by Tony Cope
Cinematography by Max Zampieri
In the depths of a suicidal crisis, a veteran makes a life-saving call to his Wingman, fulfilling their pact to secure the firearm. This is a powerful story of brotherhood and resilience, where showing up for each other in the darkest hour saves lives.
Birdhouse | Drama/Family Short | 7 min
Directed by Max Zampieri
A young girl, having outgrown the world of fairy tales, now spends her days immersed in drawing and studying birds. She quietly prides herself on being a “scientist of birds,” firmly grounded in logic and reason. As a “girl of science,” she’s left magic behind—or so she believes. But when her younger sister’s belief in magic falters, she must find a way to keep the enchantment alive, only to discover that the extraordinary was always hidden in plain sight.
Not Much Has Changed | Short Doc |15 min
Directed by Max Zampieri
Watch the film on the Waterbear network: https://waterbear.com/watch/not-much-has-changed
Former child farmworker Yesenia reveals the hidden struggles of immigrant and child labor in U.S. agriculture. As she advocates for farmworkers’ rights, the film challenges viewers to confront uncomfortable truths about the food we eat. Through personal narrative, interviews, and archival footage, it tells Yesenia’s story, sparking vital conversations about labor, dignity, and systemic inequity, all while highlighting that much still needs to change.
Voicemails Vol 1 | Drama Short |5 min
Co-directed by Max Zampieri & Javon Johnson
Bringing Javon Johnson’s 2013 poem “cuz he’s black” to life, “Voicemails To My Future Self: Vol 1" reveals the struggle Javon faces in teaching his young, black nephew about the complexities of interacting with the police. “It’s not about whether or not a shooter is racist. It’s how poor black boys are treated as problems well before we’re treated as people. Black boys in this country cannot afford to play cops and robbers if we’re always considered the latter.”
The Price of Excellence | Short Doc |14 min
Directed by J.D. Jones
Creative Direction by Max Zampieri
Land-grant HBCUs were intended as a great equalizer—yet they’ve never received equal funding. THE PRICE OF EXCELLENCE, The Century Foundation’s short documentary film, explores the unequal treatment of HBCU's through the lens of those who’ve lived it, studied it, and fought to change it. The film features Dr. Denise A. Smith, Congresswoman Alma Adams, journalist Adam Harris, historian Dr. Jelani Favors, & many more.
The Greensboro Six | Branded Short |10 min
Directed by Eternal Polk
Creative Direction and Cinematography by Max Zampieri
In 1955, one week after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus, six Black men led by Dr. George Simkins started a local movement of their own by defiantly playing a round at the then whites-only Gillespie Golf Course. They were later arrested, convicted of trespassing and spent 15 days in jail. Seven years and numerous court cases later, their actions would help lead to not only the desegregation of Gillespie but the game of golf as we know it.
In an effort to commemorate the lasting legacy of the Greensboro Six, Wyndham Rewards—proud title sponsor of the Wyndham Championship and long-time philanthropic partner of First Tee – Central Carolina recently commissioned a mural designed to lift up the story of The Greensboro Six, while celebrating the vital role Gillespie plays in the community today through the work of First Tee – Central Carolina. Created by award-winning, Brooklyn-based artist Vincent Ballentine, the piece is meant to serve as inspiration to a new generation of golfers—reminding them as they walk in the footsteps of those before them—that anything is possible.
The story of The Greensboro Six, as well as the creation of the mural, is the subject of this short-form documentary, also under commission by Wyndham Rewards. The hope for the project is to elevate the story of The Greensboro Six, lifting it beyond Greensboro and sharing it with the world.
Lazarus| Drama Short |17 min
Directed by Kate Cortesi
Cinematography by Max Zampieri
A visit to an underground record store in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn teaches a teenage kid about his neighborhood, music, and how to be a man.